Feed mechanism for punching-presses.



VAN TUYL H. BIEN.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PUNGHING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 001. so, 1911.

1,028,927. Patented June 11,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPu 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

v VAN TUYL H. BIEN. FEED MECHANISM FOB. PUNGHING FBESSES.

APPLIOATION FILED 001. 30, 1911.

I Patented June 11, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 amomlioz COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

.f f E VAN 'IUYL H. BIEN, 0F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PUNCHING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11,1912.

Application filed October 30, 1911. Serial No. 657,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VAN TUYL H. BIEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanism forPunching-Presses, and do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to machines for punching metallic sheets, bars, andstructural iron generally, but more particularly to power presses orpunches for the purpose stated, including mechanism for feeding thematerial to be operated upon, and means, attached to the press frame forautomatically controlling the feed mechanism with accuracy andprecision.

It has for its primary object the punching of holes, particularly rivetholes, singly or in prescribed groups in the sheet metal platesordinarily employed in ship-building, in which latter connection it is awell recognized fact that the rivet holes occur in groups which are thesame throughout a large portion of the vessel according to theindividual frame spacing specified.

Obviously, however, the present invention is applicable tothe punchingof angle clips, intercostal stringers, and to a large variety ofstructural plates, beams or members, for example, bridge girders,wherein a system of space repeating or grouping of holes is followed,and wherein an error in spacing, particularly an accumulative errorwould be fatal.

The invention will be hereinafter particularly described and pointed outin the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application forLetters Patent, and whereon like numerals refer to corresponding partsin the" several illustrations: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a punching press frame, a portion of an adjacent work-bearingcarriage with a plate in position to be punched, and the feed-mechanismin operative relation. Fig. 2 is an edge view of a graduated spacingrackattached to the work-bearing carriage, with a series of adjustableclamps afiixed thereto for limiting the intermittent movement of saidcarriage. Fig. 3 is a face view of a stop member partly insection'mounted upon the press frame for cooperating with the clampmembers aforesaid to arrest them in their forward movement. Figs. 4, 5and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing said stop-member in differentoperative positions and a section of one spacing clamp in differentstages of advancement. Fig.7 is a transverse sectional view through; thestop-member showing in side elevation its within containedspring-pressed latch, and, Fig. 8 is a top plan view of mechanism'carried by the press rocker-arm for automatically lifting the stop-memberupon ne -votal support, between the punching tions, to permit passage ofthe sp clamps. I "if Reference being had to the drawings and numeralsthereon, 1 indicates a punching press frame, of any approved form; 2 a

suitable power actuated rockerarm, pivotally mounted as at 3, and 4a'punch or punches all of well known construct-ion and thereforediagrammatically represented, it being understood that suitableoperative connections are provided, that the rockerarm 2 may bemanually, mechanically,or hydraulically operated," and that the punch orpunches 4 may comprise a single member or a group of such membersvarying in number and arrangement according 'to individual requirements.

' Crossing in front of the press 1 is a pair of tracks 5, one only beingshown, upon which is mounted a work-bearing carriage the lattertraveling upon a suitable number of wheels 6 machined to fit said trackswith as little clearance as practicable. Upon the press side of thiscarriage the projecting axles 7 are mounted in enlarged cylindricalbearings 8 from which rise an integral web 9 to which is bolted alongitudinal girder 10,

serving as a partial support for a superstructure of skeleton formcomprising transverse girders 11 bolted in place, and constituting aflat surface upon'which the plate 7 secured a graduated spacing rack 14:scaled 1 upon its outer edge in inches and feet and running the lengthof the carriage as best shown by Fig. 2. Adj ustably mounted upon rack14 are bifurcated clamps 15, 16, 17 and .18 each provided with teeth 19upon its upper inner surface adapted and arranged to mesh neatly withthe teethof the spacing rack 14 aforesaid, into contact with which theymay be securely but removably drawn by agency of hand screws 20 below.WVhile projecting from each of said clamps is an arm or lug 21, forpurposes which will later appear.

Pivotally mounted as at 22 upon the press frame 1 is a stop-member 23 ofsubstantially cylindrical form, having a transverse pocket 24 in itsupper portion containing a bolt 25 spring pressed as at 26 so as tonormally project in a downward direction and hav,

inga beveled lower edge 27. Beyond said bolt 25 this stop member 23 isprovided upon its under surface with a transverse rib or lug 28, whileprojecting from the opposite side of its pivotal support 22 is adepending arm or lever 29 for use in automatically andperiodicallyelevating the outer portion of said stop member 23 through the medium ofa floating link 30, a bell-crank lever 31 pivoted at 32 uponthepressframe, and a vertically reciprocating push-rod 23 slidably mountedupon the press frame adjacent to its rocker arm 2. Immediately above theT end 34 of said push rod 33 and in alinement with the latter ispivotally secured tothe rocker-arm 2 an actuating bell-crank 35, theupper end whereof, by agency of a spring 36, is adapted to be heldnormally against a fixed lug 37 projecting from the rocker-arm, and theopposite or lower end whereof is consequently adapted to engage the Tend of push rod 33 when the inner end of rockerarm is depressed for thepurpose of raising or retracting the punches 4. Below the saidbell-crank 35 there is a lug 38 rising from the upper part of the pressframe 1 adapted to obstruct the downward movement of said bell-crank 35,as shown in dotted lines by said Fig. 1 just before the inner end ofrocker-arm 2 has reached the limit of its stroke.

In addition to the automatic action of the stop member 23 above setforth, this member 23 may be elevated by hand when occasion requires toa position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, beyondthe reach andinfluence of actuating bell-crank 35 and its operative connections inwhich position it may be retained by means of a pin 39 adapted to beinserted in a hole 40 just back of the lever 29 for purposes which willlater appear. Adjacent to one end of the stop-member 23 there is a latch41 having a slotted pivotal connection 42 with a fixed projection uponthe face of frame 1, also a counterbalancing weight 43 at one side ofsaid pivot-a1 connection and a tooth 44 at the opposite side forengaging beneath the lower edgeof member 23 when raised to temporarilyretain it in a raised position.

Having thus described my invention, its use and operation as a machinefor punching rivet holes, for example, in prearranged groups, may bebriefly set forth as follows:

Presuming for purposes of illustration that a ships shell or deck plate12 has been securely clamped upon the girders 11, or the upper surfaceof the work-bearing carriage. An operator now advances the entirestructure upon its wheels 6 until the pro jecting arm 21 upon the firstclamp 15 passes under the spring-pressed latch 25 and is arrestedbetween it and the transverse rib or lug 28 of the stop-member 23 asshown by Fig. 4. A downward thrust of the punches 4, whether there beone or a dozen or more, now perforates the plate 12 whereever theycontact with it, for example, throughout one entire frame-space of theships plate; withdrawal of the punches 4 next results in a downwardmovement of the inner end of rocker-arm 2, with the result that thelower end of actuating bell-crank 35 bearing upon the T head or upperend of rod 33 operates through bell-crank 31, floating lever 30, and arm29, to raise the entire stop member 23 upon its pivotal support 22 untilthe tooth 44 of latch 41 engages beneath the lower edge of said memberto temporarily retain it in an elevated position, as shown by Fig. 5. Atthis in stant the spring-pressed end of actuating bell-crank 35 upon theinner end of descending rocker arm 2, contacts with the fixed lug 38 andis thus tripped upon its pivotal center so as to dislodge it from theupper end of push rod 33, as shown by dotted lines, leaving the latterfree to moveupward under the overbalancing weight of the stopmember 23after same has been liberated by av passing arm 21 of a clamp member 15,1t 17 or 18. Further advancement of the workbearing carriage, by hand orotherwise, 110W causes project-ion 21 of the foremost of said clamps 15to trip latch 41 in its passage, thus dropping the stop-member 23 bygravity to its normal position as shown in full lines by Fig. 1. Theentire group of holes thus punched in plate 12 are now passed beyond therange of punches 4 by a further advancement of the work-bearing carriageuntil arrested by engagement of the pro jection 21 upon the second clamp16 exactly as before. The operation hereinbefore described may then berepeated as often 13 may be desired, the number and frequency of suchrepeated operations depending upon the length of the plate to bepunched, the number of clamps secured upon the graduated spacing rack 14and their relative spaces or distances of separation as indicated by thescale of inches and feet upon the outer edge of said rack. The requirednumber of rivet holes having been thus ac curately and quickly punchedthe carriage.

may be run back to the starting point by hand or otherwise for thereception of a new plate or the same plate in a reversed or newposition, the stop-member 23 having first been elevated to the highestposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and there temporarilyretained by means of pin 39 inserted in the hole 40 back of thedepending arm 29. It will be noted further that stopmember 23 isactuated by unitary means under control of the press rocker-arm forautomatically removing said stop-member from the path of the clamp arms21; that is to say there is but one stop-member required, and this, inits operation, is engaged by each of the said clamp arms successively.

This being a description of my invention in its best form ofconstruction at present known to me it should be understood that variouschanges in the construction, arrangement and combination of partshereinbefore specified may be made and substituted without in the leastdeparting from the spirit of this invention which will now be set forthin the following claims:

1. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a clamp aflixed to said carriage having aprojecting arm, a stop-member upon the press frame normally in the pathof said arm, and unitary means under control of the press rocker-arm forautomatically removing said stop-member from the path of said clamp arm.a

2. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a spacing rack on one side of said carriage, aclamp adjustably affixed to said spacing rack having a projecting arm, astopmember upon the press frame normally in the path of said arm, andunitary means under control of the press rocker-arm for automaticallyremoving said stop-member from the path of said clamp arm.

3. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a graduated spacing rack on one side of saidcarriage, a plurality of clamps adjustably aflixed to said spacing rack,a horizontal arm projecting from each of said clamps, a stop-member uponthe press frame normally in the path of said arms, and unitary meansunder control of the press rockerarm for automatically removing saidstopmember from the path of said clamp arms.

4. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a graduated spacing rack on'one side of saidcarriage, a plurality of adjustable spacing clamps having teeth adaptedto engage with those of the rack aforesaid, a horizontal arm projectingfrom each of said clamps, a stop-member pivotally supported upon thepress frame normally in the path of said arms, and means under controlof the press rocker-arm for automatically raising said stop-member outof the path of each successive clamp arm.

5. Feedmechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a series of spacing clamps affixed to. saidcarriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member upon the pressframe having a transverse rib normally in the path of said arms, andmeans under control of the press rocker-arm for automatically removingsaid stop-member from its normal position to permit passage of the clamparms aforesaid after performing their respective functions.

6. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination awork-bearing carriage, a series of spacing clamps aflixed to saidcarriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member upon the pressframe having a yielding latch and a relatively fixed transverse ribnormally in the path of said arms, and means under control of the pressrocker-arm for automatically removing said stop-member from its normalposition after each punching operation.

7. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a series of adjustable spacing clamps affixed tosaid carriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member upon the pressframe normally in the path of said arms, means under control of thepress rocker-arm for automatically lifting said stop-member to permitpassage of the succeeding clamp arms after each. punching operation, alatch for retaining said stopmember temporarily raised, and means fortripping said latch, by a continued movement of said projecting arm.

8. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a series of adjustable spacing clamps affixed tosaid carriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member upon the pressframe normally in the path of said arms, means under control of thepress rocker-arm for automatically lifting said stop-member to permitpassage of a clamp arm after each punching operation, a countervveightedlat-ch having a slotted pivotal support for retaining said stop-membertemporarily raised, and means for tripping said latch by a continuedmovement of said projecting arm.

9. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, a "series of adjustable spacing clamps affixed tosaid carriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member pivotallymounted upon the press frame normally in the path of said arms, avertically movable push rod connected to said stop member back of itspivotal support, an actuating bellcrank carried by the press rocker-armfor engaging said pusher rod to depress it, and means for automaticallydisengaging said bell-crank and rod at the limit of their downstroke. r

10. Feed mechanism for punching presses comprising in combination aWork-bearing carriage, in a series of adjustable spacing clamps affixedto said carriage each having a projecting arm, a stop-member pivotallymounted upon the press frame normally in the path of said arms, avertically movable pusher rod for lifting said stop-member out of thepath of said arms, an actuating be1l crank yieldingly held in its normaland op- 5 said bell-crank out of operative engagement 20 With the pusherrod at the limit of its dOWn' stroke.

In testimony Whereof I affix my signature, in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

VAN TUYL H. BIEN. Witnesses:

F. A. DRAKE, G. F. THORNTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

